This court is the first to recognize same-sex marriage in Asia, and that's worth a celebration

After years of fighting for basic human rights, the LGBT community in Asia scored a win today. The Supreme Court in Taiwan ruled that the laws which oppose same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, which brings Taiwan one step closer to being the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.

This is an exciting time not only for Taiwan, but for all of Asia.

The court said that Taiwanese citizens “shall have their freedom to marry, which includes the freedom to decide ‘whether to marry’ and ‘whom to marry.'” The Legislative Yuan, the parliament in Taiwan, has been given two years to amend or enact new laws to replace the old ones, and everyone is hoping that they use this time to legalize same-sex union.

"This explanation is a step forward in the history of Taiwan's same-sex marriage," said Yu Mei-nu, a Taiwanese legislator.

SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images

You may not know this, but Taiwan has the biggest annual gay pride parade in all of Asia, and their LGBT community is a strong one that has been fighting for the right to marry for quite some time now. Thousands have showed up over the last few months to protest and demand equal rights.

Lisa Tassi, the campaigns director of the East Asia branch of Amnesty International, said this is a “huge step forward for LGBTI rights in Taiwan and will resonate across Asia.” She also said it’s important that lawmakers act quickly to change legislation and ensure that “Taiwan becomes the first in Asian to make genuine marriage equality a reality.”

We’ll keep our eye on this story as it develops, so stay tuned—and raise a glass in celebration for all the LGBT citizens of Taiwan!